If you are proactive, you act first. You do not wait for trouble and then jump. You plan, you start, you change things before they go wrong.

If you are proactive如果你很主動積極 you act first就會先採取行動。You do not wait for trouble你不會等到麻煩出現 and then jump才跳出來處理，You plan你會先規劃、 you start先開始做、 you change things before they go wrong在事情出錯之前就先做調整。

Offices and schools love this word. Job ads ask for a proactive person — someone who does not sit still until they are told. It sounds positive, and a little like office talk.

Offices and schools辦公室和學校 love this word很愛用這個字。Job ads徵才廣告 ask for都在找 a proactive person主動積極的人——someone who does not sit still until they are told也就是不會等人交代才動的人。It sounds positive這個字聽起來很正面，and a little like office talk也有點像辦公室用語。

Though actually, the word is younger than it feels. It was built from pro- plus active for psychology in 1933. A few years later Viktor Frankl used it in a much deeper way in his book Man’s Search for Meaning: even as a prisoner in the Nazi camps of the Second World War, a person could still choose how to meet what happened, rather than only being pushed.

Though actually不過其實 the word is younger than it feels這個字比聽起來的還要年輕。在1933年in 1933，為了心理學for psychology，用 pro- 加上 activebuilt from pro- plus active 造出來的。A few years later幾年後 Viktor Frankl維克多·法蘭克 used it in a much deeper way用了更深刻的方式使用這個字 in his book Man's Search for Meaning在他的書《活出意義來》裡：even as a prisoner in the Nazi camps of the Second World War即使是二戰時納粹集中營裡的囚犯 a person could still choose how to meet what happened一個人還是可以選擇怎麼面對發生的事 rather than only being pushed而不是只能被動承受。

In everyday talk now it is lighter — send the email first, book the doctor first.

In everyday talk now在現在的日常對話裡 it is lighter這個字的意思比較輕鬆——send the email first先寄信、 book the doctor first先預約醫生。

The pair people always put with it is reactive: acting after something has already happened.

The pair people always put with it大家常常拿來對比的字 is reactive是 reactive（被動反應）：acting after something has already happened事情發生之後才採取行動。